Indians Blank Bats in Season Finale, 4-0

LOUISVILLE, KY - Tyler Eppler three-hit the Bats over 7.0 shutout frames as the Indians earned a 4-0 win in Louisville on Monday, snapping a five-game Labor Day losing streak. All four of Indy's runs came via the long ball; Wyatt Mathisen homered in the fourth and Erich Weiss cranked a three-run shot in the sixth.

Eliminated from postseason contention on Sunday night, the Indians (73-67) showed heart in the season finale behind their ace. Eppler set the tone early, retiring the first nine batters he faced on just 24 total pitches. He struck out the side to end the third and didn't allow a baserunner until Hernan Iribarren worked a leadoff walk in the fourth. Louisville (61-76) didn't record a base hit until Steve Selsky singled up the middle to open the fifth.

Mathisen's ninth home run of the season led off the top half of the fourth. Two innings later, Weiss lined his fifth blast of 2018 over the right-field wall to make it 4-0.

The Bats' biggest threat came in the seventh, but Eppler struck out both Valentin Martinez and Nick Longhi to strand runners at the corners. Eppler (W, 13-6) walked one, fanned six and became the first Indians pitcher with 13 wins in a season since Rick van den Hurk in 2012.

Iribarren, 34, played all nine positions. His pitching appearance came in the fifth against Eppler, who reached safely on an infield single to first. The hit was Eppler's third of the season, the most on the staff.

Jose Lopez (L, 5-13) was charged with four earned runs on six hits in 6.0 innings of work. He walked one and struck out seven.